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Froufie's Luggage Express Fiasco!!!!

Froufie

By Froufie,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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Froufie

Froufie

Posted
Posted (edited)

:mad:Well I know 'ship' happens (LOL) - but I cannot believe how Carnival messed up!

 

Wondering if anyone else has a Luggage Express horror story? (and how it was resolved?)

 

I have always wanted to use the service but flying to Canada it was hardly available - but I did notice that more recently it was being used by Canadian cruisers. Imagine my delight when lo and behold on my recent Liberty cruise a Luggage Express form was left on my bed - and yes it was available for INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS?

 

Still not believing this - I visit the Concierge Desk to confirm this - and yes absolutely please go ahead they say - so I do. I complete the form - pay my $20 LEX fee along with the $25 US airways fee and await my baggage tag.

 

Traveling solo with a 2 pm flight I thought this was a great idea so that I don't have to lug my suitcase around til I can check in and was hoping to spend more time with my cruising friends!

 

I get my luggage tag on Friday and attach it to the suitcase - and once dinner is over I pack it up with my 'remaining' clothes and toiletries and put it outside my cabin door around 11 pm on Friday night....

 

IT IS NOW MONDAY - ALMOST 10 DAYS LATER AND I HAVE YET TO SEE IT!!!:mad::confused:

 

There I was at the luggage carrousel late saturday night after my 2nd flight (orlando/charlotte/ottawa via US air) watching all the suitcases roll down - except mine - all were off and no froufie suitcase in sight - wow - well that didn't work out well.

 

But being a frequent traveller I know such things happen - and yes I was so thankful my luggage was lost on the way home and not to the ship - so off I go to fill out a 'delayed baggage' claim I am given a form and file number and head home as most likely the suitcase is stuck somewhere and I optimistically think it will show up 24 -48 hrs later.

 

Boy was I wrong! After 24 hrs with no word from anyone - on Monday I call the toll free US air number and speak with someone who looks at the file # and says 'gee that's weird? but it looks like your luggage tag was never scanned into our system - WE HAVE NO IDEA WHERE YOUR SUITCASE IS'!! HUH??? How can that be? Here I was thinking the suitcase was stuck in orlando or charlotte or on its way to me - but no one can find it?

 

I then realize I better check with carnival - fire off an email inquiry on monday afternoon - and call US air each day to check - but of course nothing at their end.

 

On Wednesday I get home from work and lo and behold a message from Joan at Carnival - we FOUND your suitcase - please call us so we can send it to you!

 

YAAY- I call the number provided and leave my work number and a message to please call me back to make the arrangements. I also note that on her message to me she says something like 'your luggage was LOST at the pier but has now been found'??? Very very strange???

 

On thursday morning at work - no phone call - so at noon I call Joan back - turns out she is an 'embarkation' agent at port canaveral - and I hear lots of noise and busy stuff going on in the background - she doesn't really seem to have time to talk - hands off the phone to someone else to get my 'details' - but the funniest was when I asked about the Luggage express service and what happened (and can I please get a refund) she started insisting there was no Luggage Express service on the Liberty and what was I talking about?

 

I made it very clear that yes they had it - I paid for it, got a luggage tag, etc but she was still skeptical saying it was not available? (Carnival please educate your embarkation agents!).

 

On Friday I get an email from Kim at Customer care - with same info we found your luggage it is being shipped to you. I write her back about the refunding of both luggage fees - and she calls me back.

 

I ask again what happened and no one seems to know why my luggage never made it to any airport? When I ask about my luggage being 'intact' and are the cable ties still on - again no one can provide any details.

 

I now have a tracking number and some information on my suitcase (from orlando to cincinnati and now looks like 'customs clearance delay on may 25th) - so almost 10 days and no suitcase.

 

I will be LIVID if anything is gone but I know that the longer it has been 'missing' the higher the chance of someone having opened it and taken whatever they like? I did mention to Kim that I would be back in touch should this be the case.

 

So this was my first and probably last experience with Luggage Express - yes I know hundreds or thousands of people have used it successfully - but wondering if anyone else has had a nightmare situation like this and how it was resolved!:(

Edited by Froufie
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picomullet

picomullet

Posted
Posted

The time we used it in Seattle there were no problems.

 

Family did have no luggage when we debarked in Galveston in Feb though. Family always carries luggage off but they were riding with us. We are NOT carrying ours off so they sent theirs down also. Next day, No luggage. We were headed back to Houston when Carnival called and said we found your luggage!. Evidently someone picked it up by mistake or it was left on a cart somewhere..

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kona_wahine

kona_wahine

Posted
Posted

We had an issue on liberty in January. We got it for both of us. The tags and boarding passes were delivered to our room. There was something off with mine so went to GS to sort it out. They checked and said they couldn't check me in. Not sure of the reason. DH was checked in as was his bag. They did refund my portion, but I wish they had just did both or neither since I had to check in at the airport and check my bag. Was a waste of money. DHS bag was there when we landed.

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Georgiagolfer

Georgiagolfer

Posted
Posted (edited)

We had the same issue with the Liberty out of Miami 4 yeas ago. Received call from Carnival 4 days after we were home that our luggage was "found", it actually never left the Port. This came after numerous calls with Delta and Carnival.

Edited by Georgiagolfer
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pe4all

pe4all

Posted
Posted

Froufie - this definitely makes me think twice about using luggage express services! Just curious - would travel insurance cover delayed baggage? If CCL won't refund the money you spent for LE, maybe travel insurance will. (though I am sure CCL will step up and refund you - you have everything documented!) Keep us updated on your suitcase's journey! (I hope it gets frequent flyer miles!)

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SMSACE6

SMSACE6

Posted
Posted

Froufie, sorry to hear that this happened, and hope you get your luggage soon.

 

Something like this happened to my parents a few years ago, though it was not luggage express. Luggage got lost during their flight to Ft Lauderdale, which actually the flight never did get there, because of a nor'easter and subsequent cancellation of flights.

 

Somehow their bags did get to Ft Lauderdale on another carrier, but they didnt and actually ended up returning home, having missed the cruise.

 

The first run around was which airline to deal with, and finally Air Canada which was the originating one, put in the lost luggage trace.

 

It took them about 10 days or so for it to come back, and one day we opened the front door to get the newspaper and there were the two bags sitting in the snow on the front step LOL.

 

I still thought you could only get luggage express if the flight was direct service/no connections. Still this makes me leery of the "service"

 

Hope you had a good cruise on the Liberty, my favorite ship.:)

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Froufie

Froufie

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Posted
We had the same issue with the Liberty out of Miami 4 yeas ago. Received call from Carnival 4 days after we were home that our luggage was "found", it actually never left the Port. This came after numerous calls with Delta and Carnival.

 

Did you ever find out what happened and why suitcase never left the Port - sounds very similar to my situation...and when you got it I hope everything was intact!

 

Froufie - this definitely makes me think twice about using luggage express services! Just curious - would travel insurance cover delayed baggage? If CCL won't refund the money you spent for LE, maybe travel insurance will. (though I am sure CCL will step up and refund you - you have everything documented!) Keep us updated on your suitcase's journey! (I hope it gets frequent flyer miles!)

 

I was assured I would get refunded both luggage and airline fees - will be checking with credit card company this week - and for travel insurance - I would agree that if your policy has clauses re lost/delayed baggage that it could be covered - but I don't know how easy it would be to ascertain value and get everything replaced!!!

 

I made sure that when I got my Visa travel credit card that it had some 'adequate' insurance for lost/delayed luggage (I know it's up to $1000 for lost luggage while some other policies maxxed out at $400!!!)...

 

Will be calling US air to let them know it wasn't their fault!:rolleyes:

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Tapi Great Review Rare

Tapi

Posted
Posted

I'm glad your luggage was at least located! I know what a pain this can be. Ours was lost on the way TO our Alaska cruise! :eek:

 

The suitcase was never found. Very thankful for travel insurance though. We were given a grand total of $4,000 to replace the contents of the suitcase, to cover what we needed to purchase, plus extra cash for the inconvenience.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

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JeanG

JeanG

Posted
Posted

We had a similar experience with Luggage Express. We returned on the Miracle on May 20th and used Luggage Express for the first time, we usually drive to ports since we live in Florida.

 

Our bags were to go from Seattle/Dallas-Fort Worth/Tampa. Well one bag made it and one didn't. Notify airline and got missing bag claim number and expected it the next day. Well that didn't happen. The airline said they had no record of the bag being scanned in Seattle. Call Carnival to report issue and they started lost bag claim and also gave me number of Seattle port. Very nice agent who said there were only 3 bags left at port and none ours.

 

Everyday an automated message from airline saying sorry bag still not located. I also called airline to speak with a person and port every day and still nothing. No one can tell us what happens when the bags are picked up in Seattle and transferred to airport. At this point I'm thinking maybe the bags was left on the Miracle.

 

Yesterday received a call from airline agent in Houston found bag on a different airline and can we confirm contents of bag. So happy, now the other airlines flies the bag to Tampa from Houston and we retrieved it last night.

We were told by the other airline that our bag was tagged on their airline going from Seattle to Houston.

 

I'm glad we had a good ending to the story, but no one can say how it got the wrong tag, airline and city. Funny thing get a call from original airline today saying bag still not located and it has been escalated to their central baggage center.

 

Hopefully your bags will also turn up, but oh what a nightmare.

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sjn911

sjn911

Posted
Posted

Froufie good thoughts..what a free for all...the longest I have had is a two day delay upon return and only a one day en route, (never had tried the service)...and the rest and longer delays in returning and nothing stopped the journey or had me doing the big exit on a tour etc. without....glad you are covered..blessings, another good point for arriving a day in advance..terrible to come home to..Sarah

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Froufie

Froufie

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Posted (edited)

I AM THRILLED TO REPORT THE 'NIGHTMARE' IS OVER :D:D:D

 

The suitcase has arrived - today!!! and guess what the 2 red cable ties that I placed on the suitcase thursday night (may 15!) were still intact - and everything is okay!

 

I am now sorting and doing laundry cuz everything is crushed and smells a bit 'tropical' - but otherwise I am a very happy camper! All 'gifts' for hubby and kids have been distributed and candy for office workers is ready to go.

 

DS is thrilled that he finally got his 'good night' chocolates (I save them all and bring them home) - LOLOL.....

 

I literally hugged my suitcase when I saw it - how funny that must have looked.....

 

Now comes the big chore of putting everything back into the 'cruise box' for another 5 months when I shall be on my next cruise adventure (which hopefully does NOT include any lost or wandering luggage).

 

Thanks to everyone for their support, stories and wishes - it did help me get thru this! :)

Edited by Froufie
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NCTribeFan

NCTribeFan

Posted
Posted

Oh, Froufie! What an ordeal! Glad you finally got it. When you started, I was just sure that it would be USAir's fault and that it was sitting in Charlotte somewhere. I was going to volunteer to drive down and retrieve it for you! ;)

 

Hope the cruise was good, though, and that you'll be writing one of your great reviews. If you've already done that, please point me to it as I must've missed it. I just finally finished my review of Pride (sailed 5/4).

 

Come join me on Splendor to Bermuda in October 2015! It's expensive, but I snagged 2217. The other 1A w/PH cabins on Main are still available. And I have a "virtual" friends and family voucher through my PVP (there was no one manning the future cruise/Carnival credit card desk the week I was on).

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